College and Career

Advanced Placement (AP) Testing

Students who take Advanced Placement (AP) courses in high school have the opportunity to take AP exams in the spring.

"If you earn an AP Exam score of 3 or higher, chances are you can receive credit, advanced placement or both from your college — most colleges and universities in the United States and institutions in more than 60 other countries grant credit and placement for AP scores or acknowledge AP scores in the admission process.

College credit and/or advanced placement can be a big reward for all the hard work you put into your AP courses and exams. Also, when you enter college with the credit you've already earned through AP, you can save time and money. With a head start on your degree, you may have the flexibility to move into upper-level courses sooner, pursue a double major or study abroad.

So, How Does It All Work?

The first thing to understand is that each college and university — not the College Board or the AP Program — makes its own decisions about awarding credit and placement. Most have a written policy spelling out things like the minimum required score to earn credit for a given AP Exam, the amount of credit awarded and how credits are applied. Review this information on the college's website or by using the AP Credit Policy Search.

To receive credit, you must request that the College Board send your official AP score report to the college of your choice, either at the time of testing or afterward through a score report request. Colleges will usually notify you during the summer, after receiving your scores, about any credit, placement and/or course exemptions you have earned. If you have questions about the status of your AP credit or placement, you should contact your college. Send your AP score report to your college.